Eleven widows from the Western Cape have turned grief into something tangible, a published anthology that is now on the shelves at Exclusive Books at the V&A Waterfront and is making its way into public libraries across Cape Town.

Echoes of Love: Where Love Once Lived, Courage Now Speaks was written by 11 widows who lost their husbands to Covid-19, cancer, heart failure, suicide and other causes. It is described as a powerful collection of personal reflections that explore love, loss, healing, and courage.

“Post-Covid, there has just been a big need for somebody to write about loss, love, death and especially grief,” said Rhonda Savage-Julie, one of the contributing authors who lost her own husband in August 2020 during the first wave of Covid-19.

How it began

The project grew from the Sisterhood of Widowhood, a support community of widows in and around the Western Cape, led by Lezelle Scholtz. She connected with an organisation called DREAMZ, which reaches out to widows and single mothers. When Scholtz’s own husband died, she felt the need to write a memoir, and from this personal journey her need to reach out to other widows sprang forth.

At the group’s first widows’ gathering, held at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Scholtz put out a call to anyone who felt they may like to write a chapter on the loss of their loved one. Many women came forward, but only a manageable number could be included.

Meetings with a publisher began more than a year ago. It was initially suggested the book contain 10 chapters, but one participant stepped back during the process while two others came forward, resulting in 11 authors and 11 chapters.

Nine first-time writers

“Of the 11 authors, only two had previously written a book,” Savage-Julie pointed out. “The remaining nine had never put pen to paper before, not even in a journal.” Yet all nine succeeded in pushing through their anxiety and self-doubt to share the most intimate stories of their lives.

“They were nervous, anxious and unsure that they were worthy of telling a story and putting their story into a book,” said Savage-Julie, “and this is what makes this book so unique.”

Publisher Kinsekeroy Publishers supported every author through the process, holding their hands at every step.

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The widows range in age from their early 50s, having become widows in their 40s. Their husbands died between four and eight years ago. The authors come from all walks of life from across the Cape — Athlone, the Cape Flats, the Northern Suburbs, Pinelands, Blackheath and Northpine. One author, a nursing sister whose husband took his own life, has since relocated to Durban.

A sold-out launch

In December 2025 Echoes of Love was launched at a venue in Pinelands to an audience of 200 people, a sold-out event. The authors have since held intimate coffee events at coffee shops and private gatherings. The book was subsequently stocked at Exclusive Books at the V&A Waterfront, where it was prominently displayed on the shelf at the main entrance.

“That, for us, is just a miracle,” Savage-Julie declared, “that Exclusive Books decided to buy from us and put it on the shelves.”

Bringing the book to the community

The authors are now extending their reach to public libraries. The goal is not only to promote the book but to encourage libraries to purchase copies, making it freely accessible to those who cannot afford to buy it.

The motto of the Sisterhood of Widowhood reflects the spirit of the project: We grieve in community. Nobody has to grieve alone.

Savage-Julie is clear that the book speaks to more than widows. “Anybody out there, not necessarily someone who has lost a husband, but who has lost a child, a partner, a sibling, a parent, a loved one, will find something in this book. It talks about grief. And even though all our stories are different and unique, there is one thread of love, loss, and grief. It is a book for everybody and anybody.

“It is an emotional tool that evokes memories and stories. It is heartbreaking, yet cathartic and healing, for the writer and the reader.”

The authors

The 11 contributing authors and their chapters are:

1. Alicia Rose Wilson-Cox — “Love Over Loss”

2. Nicoleen Thompson — “In Your Memory I Rise”

3. Moira Colbie — “Caged but Learned How to Fly”

4. Freda Douman — “Whispers of Grace”

5. Hazael Perumal — “Unexpected Beauty Beyond the Pain”

6. Ruth Carol Wyngaardt — “A Chapter of Grief”

7. Mavis Martin — “Permanent Farewell”

8. Esmarelda Van As — “Regrets and Memories”

9. Lezelle Scholtz — “Unafraid and Unfolding”

10. Rhonda Savage-Julie — “When Shadows Stay”

11. Rhoda Perez — “Symphony of Love”

Upcoming events

On 6 June, a library event will be hosted by the widows’ group and book club at Hout Bay Library, limited to approximately 30 guests.

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On 13 June from 10:00 to 12:00, they will be at the Bellville Library. The event, entitled “A Conversation on Hope”, will enable many to meet Savage-Julie and contributing authors for a meaningful discussion on hope and the enduring power of love.

RSVP by 10 June at bellville.library@capetown.gov.za or call 021 444 0300

Everyone is welcome.